Description Journal

[teen-writer]

I just had an idea that I'm going to use to help my writing. I call it a description journal - I'm sure somebody else does this, but who knows?

I'm going to start taking descriptive photographs of places I visit. By this, I mean pictures that I can describe in writing, and that add to the flavor of the scene. I keep these in a binder, and I write a descriptive scene based on these pictures. I keep the writing next to the pictures, and I have extra paper in there for whenever I don't have a camera. I'll just write about it anyway!

Then, not only does this help my writing skills, but I also have plenty of descriptions ready to be used in a book, should the character ever visit such places.

[justwrite]

WOW!!! 
I am so impressed with you two kids (you and Chelc), I don't even know where to start. That's wonderful. Maybe you can start this in community fiction and we can all describe something around us. I love this idea!!!! Karma for ya.

[Patrick]

I was thinking we could turn this into some kind of exercise as well.  Post a picture and everyone take a shot describing it.  Daniel, do you have a pic you would like to post?  Put it under community fiction if you do.

Oh, and jw, thanks for clarifying that when you said "you two kids" you meant Dan and Chelc.  I was afraid you were talking about me. 

[teen-writer]

I had to delete the pictures because they were on my dad's camera. I'm getting a camera for my birthday, though, in one week - so I'll be posting pics then!

I'll post the first description that I wrote.

[teen-writer]

And I used about nine pictures to describe the scene. 

[Diowe]

I used to do the same thing for character sketches, DanielT. I didn't take any actual photos (probably would have been arrested!) but I'd go to the mall or maybe a park and just scribble away -- starting with physical description then letting my mind fill in possible background, traits... and then concentrating the most on their current troubles... it's actually a lot of fun  ;)

If you want to turn THAT into an exercise Patrick, we could do it for each other... pick someone from the forum and make up all that stuff about him/her. Course, we'd have to start with audal, since audal IS a him/her!

[justwrite]

Go right ahead, Diowe..you start!

[audal]

I look forward to you all filling in my biographical blanks...

[Chelc]

Wow, and I thought I was strange with the whole writing down thousands of words and then alphabetizing them and having a bigger vocabulary than anyone in my class and annoying everyone when I use such words and...you get it...
But this is actually really creative.
Thanks for the brilliant idea, Dan.
 

[teen-writer]

Anytime.